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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bass — low music
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pitch — completely
  18. deal — to handle
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bark — to shout
  23. foot — a measure
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com